Dentist Blog

Posts for tag: cosmetic dentistry

When the multi-platinum recording artist, songwriter and TV personality Jason Derulo was recently asked about his ideal woman, his answer covered a remarkably broad spectrum. "There’s no specific thing," he said, "so I think it’s unfair to say what my ‘type’ is." But it turns out that there is one thing the So You Think You Can Dance judge considers essential: A beautiful smile.

"I’m not into messy teeth," Derulo said. "If the grill has spaces and different colors, it’s not my vibe."

As it turns out, he may be on to something: A number of surveys have indicated that a bright, healthy smile is often the first thing people notice when meeting someone new. Yet many are reluctant to open up that big grin because they aren’t satisfied with the way their teeth look. If you’re one of them, consider this: Modern cosmetic dentistry offers a variety of ways to improve your smile — and it may be easier and more affordable than you think.

For example, if your smile isn’t as bright as you would like it to be, teeth whitening is an effective and economical way to lighten it up. If you opt for in-office treatments, you can expect a lightening effect of up to 10 shades in a single one-hour treatment! Or, you can achieve the same effect in a week or two with a take-home kit we can custom-make for you. Either way, you’ll be safe and comfortable being treated under the supervision of a dental professional — and the results can be expected to last for up to two years, or perhaps more.

If your teeth have minor spacing irregularities, small chips or cracks, it may be possible to repair them in a single office visit via cosmetic bonding. In this process, a liquid composite resin is applied to the teeth and cured (hardened) with a special light. This high-tech material, which comes in colors to match your teeth, can be built up in layers and shaped with dental instruments to create a pleasing, natural effect.

If your smile needs more than just a touch-up, dental veneers may be the answer. These wafer-thin coverings, placed right on top of your natural teeth, can be made in a variety of shapes and colors — from a natural pearly luster to a brilliant "Hollywood white." Custom-made veneers typically involve the removal of a few millimeters of tooth enamel, making them a permanent — and irreversible — treatment. However, by making teeth look more even, closing up spaces and providing dazzling whiteness, veneers just might give you the smile you’ve always wanted.

The holidays are a time for getting together with family and friends from near and far. The memories you make at these joyful celebrations are the ones you’ll treasure forever, but it can be hard to show good cheer if you’re not happy with the way your teeth look. If you’re keeping that grin under wraps, we may be able to perk up your smile with some quick and economical in-office treatments.

A professional teeth cleaning is one of the best values in dental care. In just minutes, we can remove the buildup of hardened tartar that can make your teeth look dull and yellowed. Tartar can also lead to tooth decay and gum disease—two kinds of trouble you don’t need! While you’re in the office, you will also have a thorough exam that could prevent minor issues like small cavities and bleeding gums from becoming more serious dental problems. When you leave, your teeth will look and feel sparkly clean.

If your smile doesn’t look as bright as you’d like, ask about teeth whitening treatments. In-office whitening is a safe and effective way to lighten your teeth up to 10 shades in a single visit! If you have more time, you can get similar results from a take-home kit that we can provide—one that’s custom-made just for you.

Are chips or cracks making your teeth look less than perfect? Cosmetic bonding could be the answer. Translucent, tooth-colored bonding material can be applied to your teeth to repair minor cracks, chips or spacing irregularities. This in-office procedure usually requires just one visit and can make a dramatic difference in your smile.

Magician Michel Grandinetti can levitate a 500-pound motorcycle, melt into a 7-foot-tall wall of solid steel, and make borrowed rings vanish and reappear baked inside bread. Yet the master illusionist admits to being in awe of the magic that dentists perform when it comes to transforming smiles. In fact, he told an interviewer that it’s “way more important magic than walking through a steel wall because you’re affecting people’s health… people’s confidence, and you’re really allowing people to… feel good about themselves.”

Michael speaks from experience. As a teenager, his own smile was enhanced through orthodontic treatment. Considering the career path he chose for himself — performing for multitudes both live and on TV — he calls wearing an orthodontic device (braces) to align his crooked teeth “life-changing.” He relies on his welcoming, slightly mischievous smile to welcome audiences and make the initial human connection.

A beautiful smile is definitely an asset regardless of whether you’re performing for thousands, passing another individual on a sidewalk or even, research suggests, interviewing for a job. Like Michael, however, some of us need a little help creating ours. If something about your teeth or gums is making you self-conscious and preventing you from smiling as broadly as you could be, we have plenty of solutions up our sleeve. Some of the most popular include:

Tooth Whitening. Professional whitening in the dental office achieves faster results than doing it yourself at home, but either approach can noticeably brighten your smile.

Bonding. A tooth-colored composite resin can be bonded to a tooth to replace missing tooth structure, such a chip.

Veneers. This is a hard, thin shell of tooth-colored material bonded to the front surface of a tooth to change its color, shape, size and/or length; mask dental imperfections like stains, cracks, or chips, and compensating for excessive gum tissue.

Crowns. Sometimes too much of a tooth is lost due to decay or trauma to support a veneer. Instead, capping it with a natural-looking porcelain crown can achieve the same types of improvements. A crown covers the entire tooth replacing more of its natural structure than a veneer does.

Are you ready to find out whether dental bonding could be the best option for altering your smile?

While your smile may look great at first glance you know that you can’t stand the small discolorations, chips, and spaces between teeth. We understand your frustration. After all, these issues are visible but not so significant that they warrant dental crowns, veneers or even braces. If this sounds like you then you may want to talk to our Boca Raton, FL cosmetic dentist Dr. Alfred Huber about dental bonding.

If you are looking for an economical way to improve your smile then look to dental bonding. This cosmetic dentistry procedure uses a dental resin, the same material that is used to fill a tooth after a cavity, that is matched to the color of your tooth and is sculpted over teeth to hide common imperfections such as:

Discolorations

Chips

Cracks

Broken teeth

Small gaps between teeth

Worn down, uneven or misshapen teeth

How is dental bonding performed?

Your Boca Raton dentist will first examine your smile to make sure that the goals you have for treatment can be achieved with this procedure alone (remember, dental bonding is a quick fix but it can’t handle all issues). If bonding is right for you we will then clean your teeth and apply a solution to the surface of your teeth (don’t worry; this doesn’t hurt!).

This solution will roughen the surface of the teeth to make the resin stay in place. Then the resin is applied and sculpted until we achieve the results you want. Then a special light is directed at the resin to harden it permanently to your tooth. With a final polish of the resin to give it a natural-looking sheen, your smile is good as new.

Dental bonding is an amazing way to fix minor dental flaws so that you can have a smile that you just can’t wait to show off. We know a healthy smile instills confidence and at Reserve Dental Group we want to provide Boca Raton, FL patients with the dental care necessary to give everyone the smile they deserve.

When you turn to your Boca Raton cosmetic dentist Dr. Alfred Huber know that we are just as concerned about the appearance of your smile as you are, and we want to make sure that you achieve your dream smile right here in our office. But there are so many choices when it comes to cosmetic dentistry that it can be daunting. Learn more about the different cosmetic options available to you and which one might fit you needs.

What is cosmetic dentistry?

Cosmetic dentistry focuses on improving the appearance of a patient’s teeth, gums or bite. By altering the color, shape, size and alignment of your smile we can completely transform the look of your smile to give you the smile you’ve always wanted. Cosmetic dentistry takes a careful, creative and finessing hand like your dentist in Boca Raton has to get each smile just perfect.

What dental treatments are cosmetic?

The purpose of all cosmetic dentistry is to improve your smile’s appearance. Some treatments to consider include,

Teeth whitening: The fast and ultimately the most effective way to get your smile several shades whiter and to remove deep-set surface stains from your teeth.

Dental bonding: A tooth-colored moldable resin is applied over the surface of your teeth to cover very minor flaws like chips, cracks or stains. It can also be used to fill a tooth after a cavity.

Dental veneers: These thin porcelain shells are bonded to the front of your teeth to change the color, shape or size of your teeth. Veneers are only applied to the teeth that are visible when you smile and can mask more dental flaws than bonding can.

Dental crowns: While these tooth-shaped caps are often used to restore a damaged tooth there are also aesthetic instances in which a dental crown is the best way to cover over a misshapen or severely discolored tooth to improve its appearance.

Tooth reshaping and contouring: Dealing with excessively sharp canines that you want to reshape? Tooth reshaping and contouring is a painless and non-invasive way to smooth and reshape teeth.

Dental implants: Need to replace one or more missing teeth? This small titanium post may be the answer you’ve been waiting for. The implant acts as tooth roots and fuses with the jawbone to securely hold a dental crown in place.

Are you interested in one of the cosmetic dental treatments above? Want to find out if you’re an ideal candidate? Then it’s time you turned to your Boca Raton restorative dentist at Reserve Dental Group. Call us to schedule a consultation.